Intravenous solution technique and apparatus



Jan. 1, 1952 R, R RAUSCH 2,580,836

INTRAVENOUS SOLUTION TECHNIQUE AND APPARATUS Filed April 2l, 1947 2'SHEETS-SHEET l ,il Il /Z f /o 9 f' Y Y ATTORNEYS Jam 1,11952 R. R.RAUscH f 25805836 Y INTRAVENOUS SOLUTION TECHNIQUE AND APPARATS FiledApril 2l, 1947 2 Sl'lEETS-vSl-IEET -2 ATTORNEYS Tlc-4- f Patented Jan.1, 1952 INTRAVENOUS SOLUTION TECHNIQUE AND APPARATUS Roy R. Rausch,Farmington, Mich., assignor to Associated Drug Industries, Inc.,Cleveland,

Ohio, a corporation Application April 21, 1947, Serial No. 742,915

3 Claims.

(Cl. 12S- 272) My present invention relates primarily to the l art ofpackaging intravenous solutions for parenteral administration.

In the carrying out of my invention I utilize novel container apparatusVinvolving the use of the common relatively large bottle or ilask forholding the bulk liquid or Water constituent of the ultimate intravenousfluid, and separate container means for holding the chemical ormedicinal ingredient which is customarily admixed with the sterilizeddistilled water above referred My invention involves primarily novelfeatures of the construction of the respective flask and its associatedsmaller container as mentioned above, whereby the two receptacles may beemployed initially for the separate containing of the constituents ofthe parenteral fluid, and whereby they may be combined for the purposeof bringi-ng the said constituents together or mixing them just previousto the time that they are required to be used.

A special novel feature of my invention lies in the provision ofpeculiar sealing means for the larger flask containing the steriledistilled water commonly used, which sealing means is of a nature suchthat it may be broken incidental to the union of the said ask with thebottle or small container of the chemical or medicinal ingredient of theultimate solution in the operation of combining the constituents of thesolution at the time of use.

A full understanding of my invention and the merits thereof will be hadupon reference to the following detail description including thetechnique of the operations employed in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 4 is a view in elevation of the combined container features of myinvention as they are assembled when in actual use.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2 but illustrating a slightlymodied form of auxiliary container particularly suitable for receivingthe chemical or medicinal ingredient of the parenteral solution, inpowedered or liquid condition.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view of a modification of my invention.

I rst refer to Figure l of the drawing which shows the form of my mainflask or container designed to hold the distilled water or similaringredient of an intravenous solution. This container, generallydesignated I, is a flask of known construction, of relatively largevolume, having the screw neck portion 2 and the bottom outlet 3, thelatter adapted to be closed and sealed by a rubber closure denoted 4.Applied to the screw neck portion 2 of the ilask I is a special form ofclosure means including a reducing type coupling cap or closure member5, the latter having the internally threaded depending skirt portion 6,and the central upwardly projecting tubular extension 'I of a diametermuch less than that of the body of the closure 5. The extension 7 isinternally threaded to permit it to receive lthe screw threaded portionof the closure cap 8, and the closure member 5 is formed with a centralweb 9 intermediate the parts 'I and 6,

. which web is centrally apertured as shown at Il.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectionalI view showing rflask and auxiliarycontainer after they have been connected together, and illustrating themanner in which the auxiliary container is utilized to break the sealclosing the main .ask,

the latter being broken 'away at its lower portion.. y

Intermediate the lower end of the cap member 8 and the upper surface ofthe web 9 of the closure member 5 is a disc-like sealing member Il whichmay be made of very thin tin, plastic substance, or any other substancesuitable for the purposes of my invention. A gasket I2 is interposedbetween the upper end of the neck portion 2of the ask i and the portionof the closure member 5 just above such end of the neck. This gasketpermits of establishing an air-tight connection between the members Iand 5 when the latter is screwed tightly upon the neck of the flask, andthe seal II likewise affords an airtight sealing means for the openingIll beneath the cap 8.

I now refer to Figure 2 of the drawing which illustrates my auxiliarycontainer to be used in `conjunction with the main flask I, the latterordinarily holding the sterile distilled Water 'constituent of theultimate solution. The auxiliary container is designated I3 andcomprises a relatively small body having at its upper end a reducedthreaded neck portion I4, the latter being formed with a closure portionI5 from which kprocess is concluded, the closing seal I8 is approjectsat the center thereof the tubular extension I6 having the aperture I'Itherethrough.

For closing the combined inlet and outlet opening II of the auxiliarycontainer I3 in an air-tight manner, I provide a sealing disk I8 adaptedto be seated upon the upper or outer end of the portion I'6 abovementioned,"said discbeing employed in conjunction with the closuremember I9 in the form of a round or suitably shaped cap having internalscrew threads whereby it may be screwed uponl the threaded portion ofthe neck I4 of the container I3. The container I3 is adapted to containthe medicinal or chemical ingredient f the Vvultimate intravenoussolution which isto :be administered to a patient as the nal parenteralsolution, and the form of the container I3 is such thatlit will readilycontain such particular ingredient, as for instance concentrated salinesolution, V'dextrose solution, combina-tion dextrose and salinesolution, amino acid solution, or ma'ny other medicinal'or chemicalingredients in liquidifo'rm.

Figure shows anwauxiliary container which is practically the same inconstruction as that of Figure 2, except ythat the-'neck portion of thecontainer is somewhat differently vformed :in order to provide atapering or-inclined wall outlet portion leadingto the apertured tubularoutlet extension or nipple portion Ia. The container of Figure 5 isespeciallyadaptedfor receiving the chemical or medicinal ingredient foradmixture with the water in the iiask I when such ingredient is inpowdered form, as for instance of the character of protein-hydrolysatepowders which contain amino acid.

With the foregoing understanding of the construction of the dualcontainer apparatus of `my invention, in respect to the specicconstruction of each of the flask and auxiliary container parts, Inowproceed to describe. the manner of use of the container apparatus asVabovefset forth.

The ask I with the closure 4 applied toits lower discharge portion 3,fand containing the requisite amount of distilled water therein asindicated by centimeter indicia onthe outside of the flask, and whilethe flask-is open'iat the neck portion 2,is placed inthe usualrautoclaveand sterilized after the usual technique. Upon removal from theautoclave, the closure means for the ask, including the parts 5 and 8,andthe sealing disc II, is immediately applied to Hthe neck portion 2 ofthe flask by screwing the closure member 5 at its internally threadedportion upon the screw threads of the neck 2. The vflask I and itscontents are then permitted to cool, and in this manner a vacuum iscreatedin the space within the flask unoccupied by its liquid contents.The flask is now fully vsealed and ready for ti'ansportation to itsplace of use with the distilled water therein.

In like manner it is contemplated to accomplish the sterilization of theauxiliary container I3 and the chemicalcompound disposedth'ein, whateverthat compound Ymay be, dependent upon the particular use for which theVparenteral uid is to be employed. With 'its chemical contents therein,therefore, the containerl3 will be -placed in an autoclave while thecontainer is open at the opening I'I. After the ste'rilizing piieoi touio portion 'I5 of the container I3 to" seal the opening I1, and the capor closure mein- `ber I9-is then screwed inplace on the -upper endof thesaid container I3. The container I3 its use.

It is obvious that the hospital or physician may keep on hand a largenumber of the auxiliary containers I3 properly labelled to indicate theparticular chemical content or other ingredient for the parenteralsolution which is to be mixed with the distilled water in the flask I,just prior to the administering `of the 'intraven--ous-soluticniby-tubulatingflask -I 'at the outflow and coupling member3.

The admixing of the compound in the auxiliary .container I3 with thesterilized contents of -`the flask I Ywill be effected in the followingmanner: Assuming that the person who is about to use the @parenteralsolution wishes to administer theis'ame;'promp'tly, he will rstpartially unscrew thew'zlo'si'ne 'member 5 from the neck portion 2 ofuthe ask I, slightly releasing the tightness of the threaded connectionbetween the parts 5 and `Zand -thereby opening the interior of the askto atmospheric pressure. This will release the vacuum yin the .iiask Iin the customary way. Thereupon, a f selected one of these -auxiliarycontainers I3 will be employed, dependent'upon theina'ture 'ofthe'contents thereof and the desired type of intravenoussolution which-.is to be administered. lThe cap closure V'8 having been now vremovedfrom the closure 'member 5 .of'the /flask EI,'the capclosure YI9 oftheauxiliary container 44I3 is removed therefrom along with-the sealv I8,andfsaid container I'3-is invertedfandin such.' position -is-screwed atits'neck portion into the tubular extension 1 of the closure member'i5after the manner illustrated inFigureiS of the drawings. The flask orvessel vI has meanwhile Vremained sealed by means of the seal IIpreviouslydescribed. However, upon the application of -the auxiliarycontainer I-3 to the iiask Iiin the 'manner Ashown in Figure 3, it will4become apparent--thatthe screwing Aaction of the neck 'I4 ofthecontainer I3, into the portion -1 yof the lclosure member 5 -willcause the tapering nipple or tubular extension I6 of the part I5-toengage thecentral portion ofthe sealing .member in themanner shown inFigure 3, thereby rupturing .orpuncturing lthesealing member, whichpermits the contentsof the-.auxiliary container I3,con sistingof `.the.required chemical compound or Aconcentrated chemical solution, topasser` gravi- /tate downintotheask I--and.become mixedwith the contentsof the latter. This mixing maybe facilitated by means'of agitatiomif sodesired.

If the container I3a of themodied construc- -tion shownin 'Figure 5 kisemployed, the chemical vcompound-in vthis-container I-3a in powderedorliquidicondition will, likewise passtothe ila'sk or Vessel I -b y` theAinverting operation and connection between the auxiliary container and'ilask Iin the vmanner above described.

Theoperation of administering the intravenous solutionis generallyillustrated in 'Figure 4,'in `whichthefiask I isfshownmas having theadministering i tube applied to the Vdischarge portion i 3 thereof, saidtube 2 I being equipped with the usual injection needle at its lowerend. The apparatus as seen in the condition of Figurel willbe-susceptible of being suspended at a suitable elevation, for theladministering process, by means Y of any lsuitable bail or like member22.

It will'o'f course be understood that inthe use of my containerapparatus, after the sterilizing .process 'has been performed in regardtothe con- 4tainer units "and their contents, `the customary testingtomake certain'that thesolution ingre- .die'nts "are lfree from.p'yrcg'ens may be made sterility vis also assured by rigidbacteriologiccon- NtrL'as customary.

It will be apparent that there is practically no liability ofcontamination of the constituents of the infusion solution in the use ofmy invention. The flask I is sealed until the auxiliary container I3, bythe screw action of the part I6, ruptures the seal. The small seal I8 ofcontainer I3 need not be removed until the container is inverted andjust at the instant the neck I4 is introduced into the screw extension'I of the closure member 5.

If desired, the vacuum in the flask I need not be released, by slightlyunscrewing closure 5, until the two containers I and I3, or l and I3a,are united.

According to the modified form of my invention in Figure 6, the screwextension 1a of the member 5, and the neck I4a of container I 3b, areVertically elongated so that, if desired, the container I3b may beailixed to the flask I, and both sterilized, tested while together, andthen sent as, a unit to the place of use. The container I3b will besealed by the seal Il while in unruptured state. At the time of use, thecontainer I3b will be screwed deeper into the tubular member la toestablish communication between the receptacles by action of the partI6a on the seal II. There are conditions in which such construction maybe advantageously utilized.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In intravenous solution apparatus, in combination, a main iiaskhaving a solution introducing opening, a frangible seal on said askdisposed so as to seal said opening, a closure member detachablyconnected with the ask at said opening and holding said seal in place,said closure member having an opening therethrough for communicationwith the atmosphere and closed by the said seal. and an auxiliarycontainer having a screw-thread connection with the closure member andformed with an apertured extension Y said seal to establishcommunication between the interiors of the ilask and container.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the detachable connectionof the closure with the flask is a screw connection, and in which theseal is clamped to the flask at its said opening by screw action of theclosure against the ilask.

3. In intravenous solution apparatus, in combination, a main iiask forcontaining a liquid of the ultimate parenteral solution and providedwith a, charging opening, an auxiliary container having a chargingopening, an instrumentality connecting theopening portions of the flaskand container, and a seal common to the two opening portions of theflask and auxiliary container, one of said ask and container vesselshaving a seal rupturing member operable to puncture the seal by relativerotation of the vessels.

ROY R. RAUSCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,718,593 Smith June 25, 19291,960,858 Strauch --.May 29, 1934 2,028,751 Barton n Jan. 28, 19362,176,042 Pittenger Oct. 10, 1939 2,232,978 Smith Feb. 15, 19412,333,898 Stevenson Nov. 9, 1943 2,388,634 De Woody Nov. 6, 1945 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 74,728 Switzerland Apr. 2, 1917 245,374Germany Feb. 5, 1910

